NBA star Kobe Bryant is at it again: “I would like to be traded, yeah,” he told ESPN radio on Wednesday. “Tough as it is to come to that conclusion there’s no other alternative. It’s rough, man, but I don’t see how you can rebuild that trust. I just don’t know how you can move forward in that type of situation.”

Can you believe this?

In 2004, the Lakers signed Kobe Bryant to a seven-year, $137 million dollar contract days after they traded Shaquille O’Neal to Miami. This week, Bryant became infuriated when a Los Angeles Times columnist quoted a Lakers “insider” as saying it was Bryant’s insistence on getting away from Shaquille O’Neal that prompted the team to trade O’Neal to Miami.

Whoa! Where’s the surprise there? That’s exactly how it was reported three years ago. The two stars couldn’t coexist with only one ball. Kobe wanted to be the man, and the Lakers promised him he would be. They had won three consecutive titles from 2000–2002 and had just lost in the NBA Finals to the Pistons. Kobe was 26-years-old and Shaq was 6 ½ years older. Forced to decide, the Lakers made the obvious choice with the younger player.

Shame on that Lakers “insider” for repeating the truth. Shame on him for reminding Kobe that you should be careful what you wish for, because they gave it to him and now it isn’t enough. As we know, loyalty is tough to come by in pro sports, and teams fail to show it as often as players do. But Kobe’s arrogance is pretty disgusting. The Lakers stood behind him when he was accused of rape during that title run. The woman immediately told others of the rape, had a rape exam, and it showed something had occurred that was possibly violent. As usually happens in cases like these, a settlement with the woman ensued and now we’ll never know for sure what really happened in that hotel room.

And now the Lakers, who stood by him throughout this ugly affair, have become the villains in his eyes. Can he just forget all the loyalty the Lakers showed him? How can he say that the Lakers are taking too long to rebuild? This is one of sports’ greatest all-time franchises – that enabled him to tout three rings on his fingers – and now he’s saying they’re doing a poor job and he can’t trust them – that their plan is too long range and they’ve missed out on some good free agents? And now this so-called “insider” has abridged his trust?

Pro sports have changed so dramatically – loyalty is gone.

When I was suspended from baseball in 1970 for gambling issues, I can tell you that the club was there when I was in the deep tunnels of disaster. They were there to help with my bills, help my family, and made sure that even during a suspension that I was able to get into the best shape of my life. Unfortunately, I hurt my arm for the last time and my career, for all practical purposes, was over. Nonetheless, the club tried to do the right thing.

I still think ball clubs try today, but because of the money, the owners do not always have the human touch with their players anymore. The thought process is different in the sense that the owners know the players have all the money they could ever need, and more, and God forbid a club get into the personal life of a player today, for then here comes the agent, the attorney, and anyone else that the player can summon.

When I was in trouble, the club and my representatives worked together, daily and hourly. Yup, it’s changed, and not for the better, and to prove that, how long does a player now stay in the same organization? Just doesn’t happen anymore. I just can’t understand when a team gives a guy tens of millions of dollars and then three years later, the player is talking about going elsewhere. What a crazy game today!

But power corrupts. Kobe’s financial power got him past his troubles with the woman in the hotel, and the power of his talent and ability enable him to dictate to the Lakers how to run their organization. He demanded they rehire former GM Jerry West when he left Memphis last week, and when it looked like he couldn’t force that play, he demanded they trade him.

People cannot label Kobe a rapist. But they can call him something else – quitter.